Window leaks and other information

Maintenance of the body of the camper
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skater
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Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Window leaks and other information

Post by skater »

The original windows in our B190s were made by Hehr, which has been purchased by ParkIn Accessories.

The window design is ...interesting. There's a trough for the rain that can easily get clogged. If that happens, the trough can overflow and leak inside the van.

Having leaks from the Hehr windows? New gasket information: Available in this thread.

Nuclear option: You can order new windows. Here's a list from someone on the Facebook group that did (I redacted the name and address for privacy).
window part numbers - redacted.jpg
window part numbers - redacted.jpg (605.11 KiB) Viewed 1758 times
I believe, but am not certain, the order is:
  1. The first one is the window above the sink
  2. The second one is the bunk curb side
  3. The third one is the bunk street side
  4. The fourth one is the couch window
If you're planning to order, though, you really should talk to the company to confirm you're getting what you want. These are expensive and shipping them back is going to cost a lot, plus there's a restocking fee. Also, I don't know if these have the same design flaw as the original ones.

I know I saw a post on the Facebook group where someone replaced them with another brand, but I can't find it now. The company gave them information on what sizes they needed, which the customer supplied and they made new windows for them. The radius on the corners is apparently pretty standard.

Resealing them: Note that like any hole in an RV, it can leak for the regular reasons, too - i.e., the sealant has failed. In some extreme cases, you might even entirely remove the window, clean the fiberglass, and reinstall it. I haven't done it, but basically you need to remove the Phillips screws on the inside and push the window out - you'll probably have to cut the sealant. Use acetone to clean the old adhesive off the fiberglass and the window frame. Use new butyl tape and sealant to reinstall the window.

Other thoughts: Some people have installed stick-on rain gutters, like this.

Upper front window: This thread has directions for replacing it.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Window leaks and other information

Post by skater »

I'm working on refurbishing my B190 and I pulled the upper windows out because they were leaking. I think the primary issue is that the window must sit flat on the fiberglass, since the windows themselves are not curved. However, the fiberglass doesn't really want to cooperate, does it? Nah.

Once I had the windows out, I realized how they were supposed to work. The interior trim ring is supposed to pull the window flush against the outside of the camper. But, and here's where I think Airstream did us a disservice: The gap between the outside edge and the trim ring (i.e., the thickness of the wall) has to be at least roughly 1 1/4" (or a touch over 3 cm), or the trim ring will exert very little force to keep the window flush against the side of the top, and you'll be relying strictly on the putty or adhesive.

My interior is basically trashed, so I can't check, but I'm reasonably certain Airstream didn't meet that 1 1/4" requirement.

So, I made these window frames:
20221105_135651.jpg
20221105_135651.jpg (915.04 KiB) Viewed 1248 times
The idea is to glue these to the walls on the interior. The wood is 3/4" or more thick (I can't remember, I'd have to look), which will provide a good chunk of that wall thickness, and should help force the fiberglass to stay straight. I'll make more from some 1/2" stuff I have and glue those in place as well. Between those two, the fiberglass shell (I can't remember its thickness at the moment), and the interior finish (likely thin aluminum), I'll have just over 1 1/4" thickness and should be able to clamp those suckers down tight.

Someone on the FB group asked for dimensions, so I'll provide them here. But here's how I actually did it - basically, I used the windows themselves as the template for the wood pieces:
  1. I measured 2.5" from the edge of the wood for the bottom of the window.
  2. I placed the window on the wood, with the sliding window removed so it sat flat, then traced where it would go through (as if it was going through the side of the camper).
  3. Then I measured 3" from the traced line for the remaining sides.
  4. For the small front corners of the two bunk windows, I measured 3" from a few spots and just freehand drew it between the spots.
  5. Then I cut it all out using a circular saw where I could, and a jig saw for the rest.
  6. I rounded the pointed corners a bit using the jig saw, without measuring them.
  7. Then I test fit the windows in the openings and either cut more out carefully or filed some wood away to make sure they'll fit easily, so I'm not fighting that while trying to install them.
I'd recommend that over trying to recreate them using the measurements and you don't have to figure out the curve of the corners or the angle of the bunk windows. But here are the overall dimensions; if nothing else they can help you figure out how much wood you need. Note the measurements, especially the interior, are approximate, due to the method I used to make them:

Kitchen window frame:
  • Outside dimensions: 35.5" x 15 1/8"
  • Inside dimensions: 30.5" x 10 1/4"
Bunk windows frames:
  • Outside dimensions: 60 3/4" x 17 1/2"
  • Inside dimensions: 54 1/2" x 12"
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Window leaks and other information

Post by kstills »

Welp, this answers the question I asked you in the other thread. For me, it was easier to put blocks around the window to support the clamping ring, then make the frames out of a plywood lamination.

Potato, potahto.
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